I still didn't feel like picking up any of my WIPs, though, because Bertram the British Bunny nugget kind of got me excited about small, inconsequential projects to break up the large projects that require a lot of thought.
But the large projects that require a lot of thought keep creeping into my brain, so I tried to just take a small detour. The purse I'm working on is turning into more of a tote, and I'm soon going to have to figure out what type of handles will work best. I've had several ideas that I like in general, but they tend to have annoying problems that I can't figure out how to solve. So the thoughts continue to percolate.
In what I thought was unrelated news, I've lately become slightly obsessed with Olgajazzy's Cable Braided Necklace.
I have a completely unrelated project idea related to this super awesome faux braid technique, but I started to wonder what it would be like if made from worsted weight cotton. Maybe this would be a good design for some bag handles at some point!
So I tried it out this evening. I made two strips of different colors. I made the strips only six holes long -- this is just a swatch. My immediate thought was that it might be cool looking, but would probably still be too small for a comfortable bag handle, even in the heavier yarn.
As I started the really fun process of pulling the strips through one another (Olgajazzy has great pics of the process in her blog post; I shan't duplicate) it quickly became apparent that I will totally be using this technique for bag handles at some point. First of all, this just looks awesome:
Bear in mind that this was a quickly-done swatch -- the pull-throughs aren't very even, but that can easily be addressed. Isn't it cool? I love the way it looks in complementary colors. And here's the best part:
Great size for bag handles! And it's all rounded and cushy -- it feels good in my hand. Yet with nice, flat ends that are easy to sew onto another surface! Necklace, schmecklace -- I've found the true calling of this fabulous technique! I'm not convinced it's the best handle for The Purse, but this will show up sooner than later, I promise!
Now I might be ready to dive back into the big projects! Geronimo!
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6 comments:
That is totally awesome! I could see myself making these in Dallas Cowboys colors --as necklaces, not as bag handles.
Glad you're feeling better. Having small projects to work on for a day or two does help break up those big projects. Maybe you could use braids for your purse/tote handles?
Been awhile since you've visit, look forward to hearing from you soon.
I love the braided necklace!!
It looks so soft, elegant and sophisticated!
I like your version too and that is one great idea of using them as handles, but will they resist the stress of the load? Or you plan to reinforce them?
Becky -- I totally think you should do that! Do you still have some Cowboys sock yarn? That would rock!
Sandy -- I think I will use them on a purse at some point, but probably not the one I'm currently working on. But they've got me thinking!!
Little Treasures -- They're actually quite beefy and won't need reinforcement. I think their overall strength will depend mostly (as with most attached handles) on the method and place of attachment. That's definitely something I've been thinking about, too!
LOL! That's a funny comment -necklace-shmecklace :) I have found out that I use it more often as a headband personally! But hey, one little thing, so many options! Love the colors you've chosen, one of my favorite combination!
Thanks, Olgajazzy!! I certainly meant no disrespect -- I'm super excited to come up with as many uses for this technique as I can! Thanks so much for the original tutorial!!
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